Hydroponics came into public view way back in 1929 when a University of Berkley professor Dr. William F Gericke was photographed on a ladder picking tomatoes from a 25-foot plant growing out of a washtub. 

It was Dr. Gericke who coined the term “hydroponics” which translated from two Greek words means “water working”. Gericke's “Complete Guide to Soilless Gardening”, published in 1941, showed Dr. Gericke standing in front of a hydroponic system that produced 1224 lbs. of tomatoes in 130 square feet.

Since the 1940's there has been tremendous advances and developments in hydroponic plant culture. In the decades that have followed with the development of new materials and new technology geared toward the advancement of hydroponic plant culture. There are literally hundreds of different systems to grow plants and deliver nutrients to the plants roots.

Hydroponics can be defined as the science of growing plants without soil, although inert medias are often used in the hydro...